1 October 2023

• Swachh Bharat: the "Ek Tareekh Ek Ghanta Ek Saath" cleanliness drive drew over 31 crore participants on October 1 as a tribute to Gandhi on the eve of his birth anniversary.
• International Day of Older Persons: observed on October 1 with WHO drawing attention to elder mental health and dignity in care.
• UNTOC at 20: India's Minister of State for Home Affairs attended a two-day conference in Palermo marking the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime.
• Asia in sport: the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou continued; India's medal tally climbed past 80 with strong performances in athletics, shooting, and rowing.

GS area: Governance, Society

The government organised a mass voluntary cleanliness drive across the country at 10 AM on October 1. It forms part of Swachh Bharat Mission's Swachhaata Pakhwada 2023 under the theme "Garbage Free India."

• Scale: over 31 crore citizens participated across villages, cities, RWAs, NGOs, market associations, faith groups, and private-sector offices.
• Shramdaan: the term means voluntary labour. One hour of shramdaan per citizen was the pledge. Gandhi used shramdaan at Sabarmati Ashram as a moral discipline.
• Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase II: launched 2020 with the goal of making all villages Open Defecation Free Plus and achieving solid-liquid waste management. Coverage: all 6.35 lakh villages.
• Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban): targets all cities. SBM-U 2.0 (2021-26) focuses on garbage-free cities and wastewater treatment.
• October 2 link: the drive was timed to Gandhi's 154th birth anniversary. The United Nations declared October 2 the International Day of Non-Violence in 2007 in his honour.

Static linkage: Governance and social welfare schemes, Gandhi and the national movement.

GS area: International Relations, Internal Security

India's Minister of State for Home Affairs attended the two-day 20th-anniversary conference of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime in Palermo, Italy.

• UNTOC: adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2000 and entered into force in 2003. It is the first comprehensive legally binding global treaty against organised crime.
• Current parties: 191 countries.
• India's status: India joined in 2002 and ratified in 2011. India's nodal authority for UNTOC is the Central Bureau of Investigation.
• Scope: covers human trafficking, migrant smuggling, illicit firearms trafficking, and money laundering through three Protocols supplementing the main Convention.
• Palermo Protocols: the Protocol to Prevent Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons (especially Women and Children); the Protocol against Smuggling of Migrants; and the Protocol against Illicit Manufacturing and Trafficking in Firearms.
• Indian legislation: the Criminal Law Amendment Act 2013 defines and penalises human trafficking in domestic law.

Static linkage: Internal security, international relations.

GS area: Sports, Governance

The 19th Asian Games continued in Hangzhou, China through early October. India was on course for its best-ever medal tally at the Games.

• Final tally (closed October 7): 107 medals: 28 gold, 38 silver, 41 bronze. India ranked 4th, up from 8th in 2018.
• Athletics: 29 medals including 6 gold. Neeraj Chopra retained the javelin gold.
• Badminton: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty became the first Indian pair to win Asian Games doubles gold.
• Hockey: men's team won gold, earning direct Olympic qualification.
• Olympic Council of Asia (OCA): organises the Games. OCA was formed in 1982 after dissolving the Asian Games Federation.
• Esports: made its official debut at an Asian Games. Seven titles including League of Legends were played across 30 countries.
• Next edition: 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan in 2026.

Static linkage: Sports and governance.

GS area: Society, Governance

The International Day of Older Persons is observed every October 1. The UN designated this day in 1990 (resolution 45/106). In 2023 the WHO theme focused on mental health and dignity in care for elders.

• India's elder population: India had about 138 million persons above 60 years as of 2021. That figure is projected to double by 2050.
• Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007: obliges children and grandchildren to maintain parents and senior citizens. States set up Maintenance Tribunals. The 2019 amendment expanded its scope.
• National Policy for Senior Citizens (2011): covers financial security, health care, shelter, education, and welfare.
• Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI): the first-ever longitudinal study of ageing in India. Wave 1 surveyed 72,000 adults above 45. Key finding: over a fifth of Indians will be above 60 by 2050.
• State schemes: Rajasthan runs Mukhyamantri Rajshri Yojana for elder citizens; Tamil Nadu runs Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance scheme with coverage for senior citizens.

Static linkage: Society, social justice and welfare schemes.

GS area: Governance, Urban Development

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs releases the Swachh Survekshan rankings annually to rank Indian cities on cleanliness. The 2023 rankings (released in context with the October cleanliness drive) maintained the focus on solid waste processing and open defecation freedom.

• Indore: retained the title of India's cleanest city for the seventh consecutive year.
• Surat: ranked second; Navi Mumbai third.
• State rankings: Madhya Pradesh led among large states for cleanliness.
• Swachh Survekshan: launched in 2016. The 2023 edition assessed over 4,400 cities and towns and covered three pillars: service level progress, citizen voice, and certification.
• Key metrics: door-to-door waste collection, processing capacity, source segregation, and open defecation free status.

Static linkage: Urban governance, Swachh Bharat Mission.

GS area: Science and Technology

The Chandrayaan-3 lander Vikram and rover Pragyan were placed in sleep mode in late September 2023. Their results remained in discussion in October.

• Pragyan finding: the rover's wheels left imprints on the lunar surface. Analysis showed the regolith (fragmented unconsolidated rock material) is lumpy rather than dusty. Something binds the grains together.
• ISRO logo: the rover's wheels carried the ISRO logo and the national emblem. These left partial impressions, revealing the surface's cohesive texture.
• South Pole significance: Chandrayaan-3 landed near 69 degrees south latitude, the highest latitude any soft landing had achieved. This region is important for potential water ice deposits.
• Lunar Soil Simulant (LSS): developed by ISRO's Satellite Integration and Test Establishment (ISITE) to simulate lunar regolith for ground testing.
• Mission objectives met: confirmed the presence of sulphur, aluminium, calcium, iron, titanium, manganese, silicon, and oxygen in the south polar soil.

Static linkage: Science and technology, space exploration.

• Maldives election: Mohamed Muizzu of the People's National Congress won the presidential election on September 30 with a pro-China stance, replacing the India-friendly Ibrahim Solih. The transition has implications for India's neighbourhood-first policy.
• National Voluntary Blood Donation Day: observed October 1. India requires about 15 million blood units annually; actual collection meets roughly 70 per cent of the need.
• Turmeric Board: the Union Commerce Ministry formally established a dedicated Turmeric Board. India holds 62 per cent of world turmeric trade. Major producing states are Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. Turmeric is the root of Curcuma longa.